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English As the Lingua Franca of Social Services in Reykjavik

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English As the Lingua Franca of Social Services in Reykjavik Hugvísindasvið English Use at the Six Social Service Centers in Reykjavík English as the Lingua Franca of Social Services in Reykjavik B.A. Essay Barbara Jean Kristvinsson May 2012 University of Iceland School of Humanities Department of English English Use at the Six Social Service Centers in Reykjavík English as the Lingua Franca of Social Services in Reykjavik B.A. Essay Barbara Jean Kristvinsson Kt.: 260258-2149 Supervisor: Birna Arnbjörnsdóttir May 2012 Abstract English has become a global language and the number of users of English who are not native speakers has exceeded the numbers of native speakers. While studies show that Scandinavians are proficient users of English very little is known about how much English the average Icelander encounters on a daily basis. English has become a lingua franca in many companies and private and public institutions in Iceland where it may primarily be used among non-native speakers. Previous research done at the University of Iceland suggests that Icelandic users of English may overestimate their English proficiency, and as exposure to English is largely confined to reading and listening, proficiency may be much higher in receptive language skills than productive skills causing difficulty when professionals are called to use English in communication. Research is being done on Icelandic companies and institutions and this thesis examines the six social service centers in Reykjavik. The role of these centers is to inform, assist and serve all those living in Reykjavik. Can the staff speak, read and write English as the demands of their job dictate? How do they view their own proficiency and how often do they actually use English? To answer these questions, an electronic survey was sent to the 198 employees currently working for the Reykjavik Division of Welfare and located at the six social service centers scattered around Reykjavik. The results were similar to the results of previous studies in Iceland as the respondents over-estimated their English proficiency since their usage is mostly receptive and they do not actually produce English on a daily basis. Table of Contents 1. Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 1 2.Review of the Literature ................................................................................................... 4 2.1 Global English ......................................................................................................................... 4 2.2 How does a language become global?........................................................................... 4 2.3 Kachru’s Concentric Circles .............................................................................................. 6 2.4. ESL, EFL, ENL -whose language is it? ........................................................................... 7 2.5 English as a lingua franca ................................................................................................10 2.6 English in Iceland ................................................................................................................12 2.7 ELF in the workplace .........................................................................................................15 3. Methodology ..................................................................................................................... 18 3.1 Research Questions ............................................................................................................18 3.2 The Survey .............................................................................................................................18 3.3 Participants ...........................................................................................................................22 3.4 Analysis...................................................................................................................................23 3.5 Procedure ..............................................................................................................................24 4. Results ................................................................................................................................ 26 4.1 Background Information .................................................................................................26 4.2 Linguistic Background ......................................................................................................27 4.3 Education background ......................................................................................................30 4.4 Listening Proficiency .........................................................................................................33 4.5 Reading Proficiency ...........................................................................................................35 4.6 Writing Proficiency ............................................................................................................37 4.7 Speaking Proficiency .........................................................................................................39 4.8 English Use in General and Assessing Other Icelanders ......................................41 4.9 Required English proficiency .........................................................................................43 4.10 Use of Help Tools and other Coping Methods .......................................................46 5. Discussion .......................................................................................................................... 49 5.1 Background Information .................................................................................................49 5.2 Listening Proficiency and Frequency ..........................................................................49 5.3 Reading Proficiency and Frequency ............................................................................49 5.4 Writing Proficiency and Frequency .............................................................................50 5.5 English Use in General and Assessing Others ..........................................................51 5.6 Required English Proficiency at Work .......................................................................52 5.7 Use of Help Tools and Other Coping Methods .........................................................52 6. Conclusion ......................................................................................................................... 54 References.............................................................................................................................. 56 Appendixes ............................................................................................................................ 59 1. Introduction Data about the way Icelanders use English, how often and in what situations they actually use the language is currently being collected in Iceland. While still in the early stages, the findings of the researchers at the University of Iceland suggest that English holds a unique place in Iceland. English in Iceland is somewhere between that of English as a foreign language and English as a second language (Birna Arnbjörnsdóttir, 2007). Globally English has become a lingua franca, or language of communication, and the numbers of users of English who are not native speakers have exceeded the numbers of native speakers. The reasons that English has become a global language are varied but mainly due to the colonialism of Britain and the fact that the English speaking United States have taken the lead in global finance, science and academics, media, entertainment and information technology (Crystal,2003). Kachru (1985) defines the speakers of English in 3 concentric circles. The inside and smallest circle being those who speak English as a mother tongue in its natural environment, the outer circle where English is spoken as a second language and where the language has developed special status. The third circle, the expanding circle, is where English is taught as a foreign language. Academia is in disagreement as to where the lines separating the outer circle from the expanding circle are drawn. According to Arnbjörnsdóttir (2007), the lines between the outer circle and expanding circle may be more fluid than the model suggests and that Iceland may be shifting from a position in the expanding circle towards the outer circle. English is now considered the lingua franca of international business, academics, science, commerce and mass media. The results of a recent survey about the English skills of the world's non-native speakers, report that Scandinavian countries are amongst the most capable users of the language in the outer and expanding circles (EF-EPI, 2011). In Iceland researchers have learned that English is widely used at Icelandic universities and is taught in early compulsory school as a second language (Birna Arnbjörnsdóttir and Hafdís Ingvarsdóttir and Hafdís Ingvarsdóttir and Birna Arnbjörnsdóttir, 2010). 1 In my work as an immigrant counselor for the city of Reykjavik, a board member of Iceland’s Immigration Council, chairperson of W.O.M.E.N. in Iceland, and founder of the Mother Tongue Teaching Association, I have often witnessed English being used as a lingua franca. I myself have also used the language as a means of common communication. Because of my work as a counselor I have always been
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